Saturday, January 23, 2010

For the 24th straight year, the North Meck boys’ and girls’ swimming teams won their conference title. This year was the first time they have won the I-Meck title in the league's first season.

The North Meck boys won the meet by 65 points over Lake Norman. Meanwhile, Viking girls edged the Wildcats girls by only 16 points.

The North Meck boys team was led by senior J.T. Stilley, who won three races. while the Vikings’ Tyler Fleming (500 freestyle) and Jake Matysek (100 breaststroke) also won their respective events.

Lake Norman’s boys’ team, who won the 3A state title last year, was led by sophomore Logan Heck’s four wins, including the 200 individual medley, the 100 butterfly and two relays (200 and 400 freestyle races).

The North Meck girls’ just outlasted Lake Norman by 16 points. The Vikings won only one event, the 200-individual medley relay, led by Linsay Cooper, Payton Schrum, Kaitlyn Poff and Katie O’Brien.

Meanwhile, the Wildcat girls’ won seven of the 12 events, led by junior Haley Powell and sophomore Heather Isetts, who both won four events, each.

BothNorth Meck and Lake Norman advance to the regional meet, Saturday, February 6th at the Huntersville Family Fitness and Aquatic Center.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

One week from tomorrow, the game everybody has been talking about will finally be here.

Lake Norman versus Hopewell, No. 1 versus No. 2 (Observer Sweet 16), with the lead in the I-Meck conference on the line.

The game pits two of the state’s best teams over the last two seasons.

Hopewell (17-0, 5-0 in I-Meck play) has won 46 of their last 47 games, dating back to the beginning of last season, with their only loss coming to No. 1 and (2009) state champion Mount Tabor in the state semifinals.

Meanwhile, Lake Norman (13-1, 5-1) has been nearly as good, winning 38 of their last 41 games, with their only blemishes coming against Hopewell, and at West Rowan and at Concord (in playoffs) last year.

This season, the teams have been at their best with a combined 30-1 record, the only blemish on either side coming when Hopewell beat Lake Norman 64-60 on the road December 17.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

The Lake Norman United Select U-15 Lacrosse team captured the bronze medal in the Dick’s Sporting Goods National Tournament of Champions held in Wesley Chapel, Fla., Jan. 1 –3.

This places them third in the country in their age group, the inaugural year for this division at the tournament. The team qualified to play in this event, the only national championship for club and travel teams, after winning the Southeast Championship in Georgia last May.

After defeating teams from Ohio, New York and Florida, Lake Norman’s only loss of the tournament and the season came at the hands of the eventual champions from Maryland FCA.

“This is a special group of very talented boys that should be proud of what they have accomplished here in Florida,” said head coach Mikko Red Arrow. The team was assisted in Florida by Chris Schiemer and during the regular season by James Brugger.

The team is comprised of ninth and tenth grade students at Lake Norman High School.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

The Lake Norman boys and girls' swimming teams cruised past Hopewell last night. The Wildcats girls won 189-93, while the Lake Norman boys rolled was 175-108.

Double event winners were Haley Powell and Heather Isetts for the Lake Norman girls; while the Wildcat boys got two wins from Tyler Hill, Logan Heck, and Michael Blinn.

Heck broke the school record in the 100 freestyle, and the medley relay team of Hill, David Stamm, Heck, and Reed Wheeler also broke a school record.

"We definitely face a huge challenge in the I-Meck (conference) with North Meck being our main competition," Lake Norman swimming coach Karen Steger said. "But, we are working to get better and peak at the right time."

This was the Wildcats last regular season meet of the year. Lake Norman will compete in the Iredell County championships this weekend before the I-Meck conference meet later this month. Both teams have lost only one meet this season to North Meck.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

The North Lake Optimist Club Knights 11- and 12-year-old football team finished out a perfect season at 19 wins and no losses.

They won the Super Bowl of the Mid-Atlantic Carolinas American Youth Football League and also brought home two separate national championships during bowl competitions in December.

The Knights swept their own Mid-Atlantic AYF conference with a perfect 9-0 record, winning the league Super Bowl Championship by a score of 64-0 over the Polk County Wolverines.

After an impressive regular season, the Knights traveled to Knoxville, Tenn., where they beat other undefeated teams from Michigan, North Carolina and Alabama to win the Battle in Rocky Top Youth Football Classic.

The Knights also traveled to Easley, S.C., for a two-weekend bowl tournament, competing in the Upstate Football Invitational Championship. The Knights again went undefeated in all seven of their games, beating six All-Star teams from three states and their local rivals, the Pumpkin Center Panthers, who were the Southland AYF Super Bowl Champions.

The Knights outscored their opponents 688 to 68. The team was led by head coach Michael Cox, with assistant coaches Ken Drum, Will Bartlett and Chris Shaw.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

The Hopewell boys' basketball team is off to a perfect 13-0 start after beating Victory Christian 56-38 to claim their second straight Bojangles Shootout.

The Titans won 29 straight games last season, before falling to eventual state champion, MountTabor in the 4A state semifinals. Hopewell has now won 42 of their last 43 games dating back to the start of the 2008-09 season.

Hopewell, No. 1 in the Observer Sweet 16 and No. 2 in the state, has been strong this season with wins over Ardrey Kell, Charlotte Christian, Concord, Providence and West Charlotte, who have also been ranked (in the Sweet 16).

The Titans, who are known for their stifling defense, are at it again allowing less than 50 points per game this season including 39 and 38 points to Ardrey Kell and Victory Chrisitan, in their last two games.

“Everything starts with our defense,” Hopewell basketball coach Eric Davis said. “We have always preached that defense is what wins games, and that has been the backbone of this team for the last few seasons.”

The Titans offense isn’t too bad either led by double-double machine DeMon Brooks, who is churning out 19 points and 10 rebounds per contest. Brooks, who has committed play basketball at Howard next season, has a lot of help just in his own frontcourt with Jordan Downing and Bryce Hawkins.

Downing, who will play at Davidson next season, is averaging 17 points and five rebounds per game, while Hawkins is scoring 11 points per contest while nabbing seven rebounds.